Introduction/Preface/Thingy: A quick note

A quick note before diving in is on the translation I use. For writing and speaking, I use the New International Version. All Bible verses that are quoted or referenced are referenced from the NIV. I did, of course, use other versions as well, in addition to consult the original Greek and Hebrew. In addition, I may quote other versions for the sake of word choice or to give a more complete view. Such incidents will be clearly marked. However, the vast majority of the time, I will be using NIV. As such, I do not cite the translation because it is assumed to be NIV, unless otherwise stated. Any translation will do, of course, and if you are a proficient enough Greek or Hebrew scholar, then by all means look it up.
The reasoning behind my choice of translation is simple. The NIV, in my understanding, provides the best balance between accuracy and readability, both of which are necessary. Not nearly as dynamic as the New Living Translation, nor nearly as literal as the New American Standard Bible, it provides a unique balance that makes it handy for such purposes as writing and speaking. If you have something against the NIV, tough. Read all verses in whatever version you prefer.
Another note is on the Greek and Hebrew. The lexicons that I used in my study are cited at the end. However, I also give the Strong's concordance numbers in footnotes for those who wish to do their own study. However, the Strong's definitions were consulted secondarily in context to the other lexicons that I used.
A final note is that you will have noticed that I use the name Yahveh to refer to God. Occasionally will I use the word "God". You will also probably notice that I do not capitalize "he" or "him" when in reference to Yahveh. Since the Bible does not use special pronouns to refer to Yahweh, neither will I. This also makes writing easier for me, which is the primary reason for doing so.
As for my use of God's name, I do so for two reasons. The first is because the term "god" is a vague and general term that can be applied to any deity. We have a specific name for our god, Yahveh. He gave it to us so that we can be close to him, not to shelve and refer to him in a general sense. We do not call Buddha, Shiva, Athena, Zeus, Vishnu, or any other god, "god". Instead, we refer to them by their names. We have a name for ours, so I have chosen to use it.
In the Bible, the name is derived from the Hebrew to be verb, hâyâh. Essentially the name of God means that he is self-existent; in other words he just is. Now, the ancient Hebrews came to regard this name so special, so sacred that it was never said. I disagree with this, but that is another issue. Remembering that Hebrew originally did not have vowels, no one really knows how this name is actually said. In fact, some have speculated that the name is unpronounceable because it is the sound of breathing.
The consonants spell YHVH, or some say YHWH. Now some have taken this and made the name Jehovah, which I don't like because the Hebrews did not have a "j" sound. Other have come up with the name Yahweh, or Yahveh, the latter of which is the one I have chosen to use. Strong's concordance renders the name yehôvâh, for those who wish to do their own study on the word.